A devotional programme held in Gujarat’s Junagadh district has gone viral on social media after large amounts of cash were showered on a bhajan singer during the event and the programme organised in Khambhalia village was part of a seven-day ‘Shrimad Bhagavat Gyan Yagna’ and included a traditional ‘Lok Dayro’ or bhajan evening.
Videos from the event showed devotees carrying sacks and bundles filled with currency notes and throwing money on stage while bhajan singer Gopal Sadhu performed and as the programme continued heaps of cash quickly piled up around the singer and accompanying performers and organisers and volunteers were also seen trying to collect and manage the growing stacks of notes on the stage.
According to organisers audience continued showering currency notes during devotional programme for nearly one and a half hours and they also stated that the money collected during the event would not be used for personal purposes as the funds they said would instead go towards social, religious and welfare activities.
Organisers further claimed that a major part of the donation amount collected during the seven-day programme would be used for construction of ‘Gujarat Ahir Samaj Girls’ Hostel’ in Ahmedabad.
The viral video has sparked a major debate on social media and many users criticised public display of money, questioning practice of throwing currency notes during devotional performances while some users described the act as unnecessary and called for donations to be made in a more organised and respectful manner.
Some social media users wrote that while charitable causes may need support, publicly showering performers with cash appears more like a show of wealth some other users questioned whether such large amounts of cash should be displayed openly during public events.
At the same time several people defended the practice saying such fundraising events are a part of Gujarati cultural traditions especially in Saurashtra region and supporters claimed that money collected during such ‘Dayro’ programmes is often used for community welfare, religious events, charity and social causes rather than personal gain.
The incident has now become widely discussed online with videos continuing to spread across different social media platforms and while opinions remain divided the organisers have maintained that collected funds are meant for charitable and welfare-related purposes connected to community and future religious activities.